Tänak’s chances for a top result were dashed early in the event when he collided with a snowbank in his Hyundai, leading to a retirement on Friday.
Eventually, Tänak managed to secure six WRC points on the final day of the rally, finishing fourth in the day’s standings and in the same position on the Power Stage.
“In the beginning, particularly on Friday when it was generally more slippery, I had a better feeling. But during the weekend, as the grip improved, we couldn’t match or find any good setup to make the car work well in these conditions. But this is something we can improve on,” Tänak lamented.
Tänak’s season has had a slow start. From two rounds, the Hyundai driver has collected 21 points. He is already 27 points behind his teammate, Thierry Neuville, who leads the World Rally Championship.
“We’ve managed to score some points, but overall, it hasn’t been a great start.”
“After screwing up a few rallies, you are definitely looking forward to having a clean one,” Tänak referred to the upcoming round Safari Rally in Kenya.
Hyundai has won both WRC events this season, but Tänak has yet to celebrate. Neuville clinched victory at Rally Monte Carlo, and Esapekka Lappi took the top spot in Sweden.
According to Tänak, he and the team have work to do. This includes the only positive aspect he mentioned following Rally Sweden.
“I’m not worried about the championship, but it’s just not great to start the season like this. But okay, it’s not the first time,” Tänak stated.
“It doesn’t really matter what is positive. It’s more about how we can improve. I mean, there are definitely many things we can do better. That’s positive for sure,”the Estonian emphasized.
